Les dons merveilleux et diversement coloriés de la nature dans le règne minéral, ou Collection des minéraux précieusement coloriés, pour servir à l'intelligence de l'Histoire générale et oeconomique des trois règnes.

Folio: [1] f., 99 (of 100) pl., 4 ff. (missing pl. 74).

Contemp. sheep, later corners, spine rebacked (used binding, sides, corners and covers def., joints gone).

Very rare and completely engraved album composed of 99 (of 100) engraved plates numbered and finished by hand. "A marvelously illustrated work focused on mineralogical subjects. Is a reissue of the sixty colored plates first published in 1775-81 in "Premiere [-Seconde] Centurie des Planches" (2 vols, Paris, 1775-81), together with forty additional plates that appear for the first time. Although it is in the same style of the previous work and consists primarily of plates of illustrations, the large number of additional plates show that this volume should be considered a separate, new work" (Schuh). The plates are engraved by Robert, J. Juillet, Duret, Mesnil, Baquoy..., after Jacques ou Guillaume de Favanne ou Desmoulins. With many plates unsigned. "Brunet dates this work as "1782-97" which indicates the work was issued in a series of parts. However, no direct evidence has been uncovered to support this contention. Although it would seem likely that Buc'hoz would have sold this work through a subscription system by periodically preparing additional plates for the book, no wrappers, advertisements or other evidence has been found. Only circumstantial support comes from a relatively large number of copies of this work being described as having fewer than 100 plates; that number usually being 88. In addition, the last 40 plates are new, with no indication of "Decade". Instead, each plate although unnumbered, has in its upper right-hand corner a "Pl." designation" (Schuh).
ref. Schuh 922 (= NUC). - Brunet I-1371 (calls for 120 pl.). - BnF. - Wellcome II:264. - Not in Sinkankas.